Thailand Gun Laws

In the
Thailand gun laws are acts that refer to the
ammunition, fireworks, explosive, firearms and
imitation of firearms. According to these acts, is
it forbidden to make, posses use, buy or import
ammunition or guns without having a license.

This
license can be registered at the provincial
administration’s general director, under the
Interior Ministry, in Bangkok, and at the sheriff
(called nai amphur) in the provinces situated
outside the capital. The people who have ammunition
or a gun in the house, without a license for it are
violating the laws,

even if the guns
are never taken out. To keep a gun without license in the
house is punished with up to 10 years imprisonment and with
a fine.

The gun
licences are only personal and can not be borrowed,
so if you buy or borrow a gun and only the person
who sold or borrowed you the gun have a license and
you don’t, you will be considered as committing a
crime.

A crime
is also considered to have a gun in your house for
your self-defence without having a license; the
punishment is a fine and up to 5 years in jail.

The same
punishment is applied to those who take a gun to a
village or town or in a public place without having
a license for it. If you bring a gun at a public
gathering for political purposes, entertainment or
worship and you don’t have a license for it you can
stay 5 years behind the bars. Even if you gave the
license, bringing the gun in public, including
protests or political rally, you also can be
punished with a fine and a year in jail.

According to the Thailand gun laws, there are certain people
that can not get the gun license.

These
people are: those who have not a permanent
residence, the people have no job and no income, the
individuals who were convicted for criminal acts,
any person who has an infirmity or disability that
unable him or her to use the gun properly (these
persons may have guns but not use them), the
individuals who were found quasi-incompetent or
incompetent by a court, the people with mental
infirmities.

Foreign
persons can obtain a gun licence in Thailand, there
are no laws to prohibit that but the applications
for a gun licence coming from a foreigner is more
strictly analysed than one coming from a Thai.

If you need a
gun for hunting, self defence or recreational purposes, the
acts required for the license are: a signed and an original
copy of your Identity Card, evidence of your occupation, a
signed and an original copy of the blue book (the house
registration), a recommendation letter from a police
official or government official to attest that you have a
good character; the letter also has to state the reasons why
you need the gun. If you want the gun for sporting purposes,
you will also need a membership card’s copy.